Simone de Beauvoir, writes in her book “The Second Sex” (http://www.amazon.com/Second-Sex-Simone-Beauvoir/dp/0679724516) that women have in general been compelled to assume a secondary position in relation to men, and although they constitute nearly half of the human race numerically, their secondary standing is only comparable to that of racial minorities. Moreover, this secondary position has arisen from social and educational forces in the environment.
Whilst, some may see the above excerpt, inspired from Mlle Beauvoir’s book as a cause for discomfort and dissent, I feel that even though with the progression of time, things are changing, much work still remains.
Motivation
Perhaps, what sparked this issue in my mind and caused much furore mentally, the product of which are these words, is a song I heard, typically known as an “Item number” back home. These songs are typical in the India Cinema, where a suitably voluptuous woman is seen gyrating to some pulsating beats, talking about her sublime levels of beauty and allure. Whilst, this aides entertainment value for the movie, it casts a woman right back into the role of a “sex object”, being objectified it seems, is not a problem for women. Could this explain the secondary stance of women then? I am not criticising the cinema or even the dancing diva, but for a country like India where our masses are uneducated with unbridled poverty, and existing oppression of one’s sexuality, would this abovementioned description of a semi-naked woman, extolling her youth and contours not create a latent unrest? What I am perhaps trying to get at, is that without social reforms, overt projections of women’s sexuality via media are only going to lead to disastrous results (Read: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/will-delhi-ever-lose-the-rape-capital-tag/136324-3.html).
Where does feminism fit in all this?
In India, Liberal feminist movements have been popular, seeking political and legal equality of men and women without actually altering the structure of the society. Currently the women get 33% of reservation in the village assembly and the women’s reservation bill plans to extend this reservation to the parliament and legislative assemblies. Other examples could be the 30% reservation for women in law schools. But liberal feminism without the support of socialist feminism is not going to achieve any plangent results.
Socialist Feminism which seeks to end the oppression and exploitation of women, was at its peak during the freedom movement in India. Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s efforts led to the ban of the Sati Pratha (Practice). Sati was a religious practice wherein widows were required to immolate themselves on their husband’s pyre. Even Gandhi encouraged women to participate in the civil disobedience movement against the British. Socialist feminism in India today demands not only radical activism to end similar new age oppressions such as sexual harassment, but also needs a conscious realisation of all Indian women, particularly among the educated strata of the society. We are at a threshold of a new era, where women are acquiring more higher education than before, working longer hours in corporations, but we are still thinking in the same way. The problem is not getting accepted into the mainstream, the problem is accepting ourselves to be equal and at par with men and using same value judgments and norms that apply to men. Why is a woman, smoking and drinking with as much abandon as a man does, frowned upon? If the reason is, that this indulgence is injurious to health, then why is the same value judgment not inflicted upon men? This is the dichotomy I am referring to. This is the reason it is essential that Indian Women, not only get an academic education but a spirit of questioning that catalyzes how others think.
India being a patriarchal society, the man is still expected to be the primary breadwinner, the woman is expected to follow her parent’s directions before marriage and then follow her husband after. And of course, a womans most defining moment in her entire life is her marriage or childbirth. Perhaps Mlle Beauvoir was right when she said that a woman have been thought of as a womb. Perhaps this was true and necessary for the purpose of evolution a couple of thousand years ago, when reproduction was necessary for sustaining the human race, but just as we progressed from the stone ages, perhaps the other mental progression is also essential.
Moreover, it is the women who need to realise that they can be independent- economically, physically and socially. They need to move above the need to objectify themselves. We don’t need activism, we don’t need another reservation or a bill. We need a thought revolution.
I agree we need a thought revolution but what those thoughts are also need a revolution. In my thinking a woman is much more intuitive and wise than a man, she knows instinctively what works and what doesn't. If she becomes as wasted like a man, and drinks and smokes just because she wants to be equal in society makes her no different from a wasted man. She is far superior to waste her life on trying to be equal, physically and spiritually.
ReplyDeleteShreya, I agree with you. at the end of the day, women should not just try to be assertive to prove a point. But at the same time, if she is not bestowed the same social freedom that a man enjoys, there is indeed a problem that needs to be rectified. At the end of the day, excessive indulgence is a matter of choice
ReplyDeleteAlso, a woman is more intuitive in general than men, but a woman shouldn't exploit this position either.
My main reservation is against women who perhaps know in the back of their heads that they are competent but still choose to behave like damsels in distress to solicit help.